Home // International Journal On Advances in Life Sciences, volume 7, numbers 3 and 4, 2015 // View article
Authors:
Aleksandra Wagner
Dario Hruševar
Keywords: vegetation; alien species; water bodies; suburban areas
Abstract:
The objective of this paper was to identify plant species around the water bodies and examine the possible impact of alien plants. Sixteen locations were examined referring to the vegetation and alien species in particular. The locations were the areas surrounding anthropogenic water bodies in Krakow and vicinity. Most of them were borrow pits left to the process of natural succession. Only one water body was of natural origin. In all the locations alien species were found. In total, alien species made 20.9% of all species found in these locations, which is slightly less than overall percentage in Poland (27.4%). There were 30 neophyte species found in total, six of them invasive transformers. One species – the bur marigold (Bidens frondosa) – was found in nine locations. Three species were found in eight locations: the Canada golden-rod (Solidago canadensis,), Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis) and annual fleabane (Erigeron annuus). Most neophytes (16 species), including the four mentioned above were of North American origin. 18 archaeophytes were found. Four species had uncertain status. Most alien species were covering less than 5% of surveyed vegetation plots. Only the cockspur (Echinochloa crus-galli) covered more than 50% and the sweet flag (Acorus calamus) covered more than 25% (in both cases in one location). In urban areas, alien species are common, usually without making much problem (exceptions are allergy-causing plants), however; in rural semi-natural areas the monitoring is recommended.
Pages: 158 to 176
Copyright: Copyright (c) to authors, 2015. Used with permission.
Publication date: December 30, 2015
Published in: journal
ISSN: 1942-2660